


cuddles & carebears

by strawbbun



Series: ＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ateez ＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ [8]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Everyone Loves Mingi, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, Multi, Non-Sexual Age Regression, Panic Attacks, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Smol Mommy Hongjoong, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, its good for the heart, mingi deserves all the cheek kisses in the world, more littles to come??? we'll see, not beta read cause im lame :(, we stan platonic love in this household, wooyoung is cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2019-10-14 15:12:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17510897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawbbun/pseuds/strawbbun
Summary: mingi is a little who just needs some love.





	1. scared of the dark

**Author's Note:**

> woooo my first fic in this fandom wow
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> *heavy topics will be mentioned, so ill make sure to put a warning before they appear.
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> tysm for reading and hope you enjoy ♡ 

Mingi is stressed.

Well, stressed would be an understatement. Ever since their comeback with Say My Name, Hongjoong has been on top of the group, nagging about every little detail or mistake. Mingi knew that it was because their leader was stressed himself and wanted a good image for the group, but he could only take so much. The other members seemed stressed too, some handling it better than others.

Mingi knew he was being hard on himself, forcing himself to stay in the practice room late, usually not coming home until 3 in the morning after endless calls from the members. Mingi just felt like he wasn't good enough. He felt like his tall lanky frame fit awkwardly with the members, that he wasn't smooth enough, that his rap was unstable, that he was just _mediocre_. 

And for the first time in a _while_ , Mingi was feeling little.

He hadn't dropped in a long time, too occupied with wanting to become an idol, his time spent doing more important things. But the thing was, Mingi needed to drop to be able to function properly. He couldn't control the need to drop. It was just how his body learned to cope after... after what happened.

And he hadn't dropped in three years.

He knew that he needed it, realizing after he snapped at San for the third time today, just because the older was being "too loud". Mingi needed to drop, but what would his members think? He was an adult, and he wanted to act like a baby. Who would want to coddle a 6 foot 19 year old? 

He couldn't drop, at least not with his member around. He just couldn't handle the reactions he would receive. 

He didn't want his members to hate him.

* * *

"Mingi, please focus," Hongjoong sighed as Mingi tripped over his feet for the fourth time today. They had to start over countless times in rehearsal for their performance later because Mingi was too distracted. They didn't know that Mingi was in between big and little, trying his best to hold himself together until the end of schedules, but he was quickly losing the battle.

"S-sorry, I'll do better, hyung," he mumbled, head lowered in attempt to hold back his tears. He felt a light hand on his shoulder.

"You okay? Should we take a break?" Seonghwa spoke quietly, so that only Mingi could hear. Mingi shook his head, shrugging Seonghwa's hand off.

"I'm fine," Mingi harshly said, going back to his position. His members couldn't see him cry. He needed to pull himself together. He knew everyone's eyes were on him but chose to ignore it, everyone eventually going back to the spots. They carried out the routine a bit awkwardly due to the tension in the room, running through it successfully twice.

"I think that's enough for today," Hongjoong spoke slowly. "You all can head home. I'll be in the studio." Everyone nodded, grabbing their bags, leaving one by one. Mingi just watched them go, Yeosang being the last to leave.

"Are you coming?" he asked, lingering by the door, bag thrown over his shoulder. Mingi shook his head, nibbling on his lip at bit.

"No, I'll just stay. Gotta perfect a few things, y'know?" Yeosang nodded a bit.

"Don't stay too late, okay?"

"Okay," And then Yeosang exited the practice room, door clicking behind him. Mingi looked into the mirror. He was still on the verge of slipping and he was internally panicking. He didn't know what age he would regress to and he began pacing to distract himself.

"Don't slip, Mingi. Don't slip," he muttered under his breath until something caught his eye. There Shiber sat, snug in his bag. San must've left him when he left and Mingi wanted nothing more than to cuddle up with the toy. He was more little than big at this point as he nibbled on his lip, eyes flickering from the toy to the door and back to the toy. He took slow steps towards the plushie, reaching out to grab it. He felt a soft smile cross his lips as he plopped down on the floor, Shiber in his arms. His breathing began to slow and his eyelids drooped as he fully regressed, thumb entering his mouth.

And then the lights cut off.

The staff must've thought that everyone left the room, but rationality wasn't on his mind right now. All Mingi knew was that it was dark and he was alone. Before he knew it, tears escaped his eyes and his breathing was erratic. Sobs left his mouth as he sat in the dark, body shaking and fingers tightly gripping San's plushie.

He was so hysteric that he didn't notice when the lights clicked back on and the door opened, San walking in the room in search of Shiber and to tell Mingi that they were going out to eat soon. The vocalist stopped in his tracks once he saw Mingi's state, cheeks stained with tears and Shiber wrapped in his arms. He looked so _small_ despite his tall frame. His legs were tucked into his chest and he looked scared to death.

"M-Mingi?" San asked cautiously, a bit confused as to the context of his state. Mingi looked up at San with big, watery eyes.

"Sannie," Mingi choked out, making grabby hands towards the older. San was so confused as he crouched down in front of the rapper. He was a bit jealous that he was holding Shiber, but Mingi needed him right now. San cupped Mingi's face, wiping his tears and helping the younger calm his breathing.

"It's okay, Min. Copy my breathing," San began doing slow breaths, Mingi shakingly following him. "That's it, baby. Just like that. I need you to calm down for me so you can tell me what happened,"

Mingi shook his head, hugging Shiber closer to his body once his mind became less foggy. San frowned as Mingi scooted away from him, trying to appear smaller. "Want me to call Hongjoong?"

Mingi slowly nodded, thumb entering his mouth again. San's brows furrowed even more. Why was Mingi acting like this? Like a child?

The older pulled out his phone, clicking Hongjoong's contact. The phone rang a few times until the leader picked up.

"Hello?" Hongjoong's voice flowed through the speakers.

"U-Um, I need your help," San's voice was a bit shaky, not sure what to say.

"With what? Is something wrong? Did someone get hurt?" The leader rambled, a worried tone to his voice.

"No, not that. Uh... Mingi is um... He's acting weird and I need your help in the dance practice room," San explained, eyes flickering to Mingi who was fighting to stay awake.

"Acting weird? How?"

"He's acting like a... y'know... a baby," San whispered so that he couldn't offend the younger who was just barely awake. "Please, hyung, just hurry,"

"That's kinda rude San-ah,"

"No, hyung, you don't understand. He's literally acting like a baby. Y'know, sucking his thumb and he's holding Shiber hostage,"

The other end of the line was silent for a few beats until the leader spoke up again. "Okay, I'll be there soon,"

"Thanks, hyung," San spoke before hanging up. He looked up to see that Mingi was fully asleep, Shiber hanging loosely in his arms. San decided to sit against the wall next to him, brushing the younger by accident. Mingi's eyes fluttered open, still big and wide. The softest whine left his lips as he attempted to climb in San's lap, catching the older by surprise. It was uncomfortable having a 6 foot giant in your lap, but once San saw how vulnerable and fragile Mingi looked, he sighed, relaxing as he ran his fingers through the younger's dark hair.


	2. it'll be okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR AN UPDATE MY LOVESi've been so busy lol but here it is! your comments really motivated me to continue this story so tyyy <3 
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> as always, hope you enjoy 

It didn't take long for Hongjoong to reach the dance practice room and let's just say that he walked in on a pretty cute sight. Mingi had done his best to curl up on San's small frame, thumb in his mouth and chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, Shiber abandoned next to the two. San was smiling fondly at him as he played with his hair, thumb rubbing his cheek softly. Hongjoong was confused, yes, but kept himself together as San finally noticed him standing at the door.

"Shh, he's sleeping," San spoke quietly, putting his finger to his lips. Hongjoong softly laughed, beginning to head towards his dongsaengs. 

"So, this is what you were talking about?" Hongjoong questioned as he crouched down by the two, motioning towards Mingi who was beginning to stir. San nodded.

"I came back looking for Shiber and I found him crying and hyperventilating. Then, when I tried to talk to him, he looked at me like he didn't know me, but said yes when I asked if I should call you," San explained, frowning a bit as he looked down at Mingi. Hongjoong furrowed his brows a bit.

"Should we wake him and ask him? I honestly have no idea what could've happened," Hongjoong admitted, San nodding in response.

"Mingi-ah," San said softly, running his fingers through Mingi's hair to coax him awake. It only took a few more calls of his name for Mingi's eyes to flutter open. It seemed like a switch went off in Mingi's head as his eyes widened, pushing himself off of San. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Mingi kept repeating the same words, eyes becoming watery. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I-I know it's weird and I'm disgusting. Please don't hate me," 

Hongjoong took no time in rushing over to Mingi, cradling his face in his hands. "Mingi, it's okay. It's okay, please, just breathe, it's okay," Hongjoong spoke, thumb wiping the younger's tears away. Mingi shook his head, lowering his gaze.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and Hongjoong felt his heartbreak. "You both probably hate me know and that's okay. I deserve it. I'm not normal, _this_ isn't normal,"

"Love, why would we ever hate you? No matter what, we could never hate you," 

Mingi sighed, taking Hongjoong's hands off of his face. "Whatever you've seen, just forget it. It never happened,"

San finally spoke up, moving closer to the two. "Mingi, I'm not going to just forget it. We need to talk about it. Please, don't keep things from us,"

Mingi looked at the two, feeling regretful for putting worry into his hyungs. How was he going to explain that he was a little? They'd probably kick him out of the group. Mingi was weak. Why did he let himself drop?

"You're a little?" Hongjoong said and Mingi paled once he realized that he said all of that out loud. 

Well, there's no going back now.

"Uh... Yeah... I am..." Mingi admitted, unable to look his hyung in the eyes.

"Mingi... you're doing BDSM?"

"No! What? Hyung, no. Not age play. Age _regressing_. I can't really, um, control it," Mingi explained and he saw Hongjoon sigh in relief.

"So, you regress to a younger age?" San asked.

"Yeah... Usually, people have pacifiers, sippy cups, toys, and stuff like that, but I haven't dropped in years so I didn't think I would need it,"

"You don't have anything for when you drop? Like at all?" Mingi shook his head, frowning a bit at the realization. "Well, let's change that. If it helps you cope, why not indulge into it fully?"

"Wait, hyung, really? You'll let me drop at the dorms?" Mingi's eyes lit up and Hongjoong's heart fluttered a little. It seemed as if a thousand weights were lifted off of the younger's chest.

"Yes, really. We can order things for you online. As long as the public doesn't find out, I'm sure the company would be fine with it," San added, hand grabbing Mingi's to squeeze it comfortingly.

"But... What about the other members? What if they think I'm weird? What if they want me out of the group?" Mingi said, getting into his own head again.

"If anyone has anything to say about it, they can bring it up with me. I want you to feel comfortable and stress-free. We've all noticed how hard you've been on yourself lately and we hate seeing you like that. We just... We just want you to be happy, Mingi,"

"Thank you, hyung. Really, thank you,"

* * *

"Are you kidding me? That's the cutest fucking- I mean, cutest freaking thing I've ever heard of," Jongho announced happily after the three explained everything to the group. Mingi couldn't have felt more relieved that the members seemed fine with his age regressing.

There's still a long way to go, but they're sure that they could do this if they stick together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry its short but i wanted to get this chapter out of the way so that we can get to the plot yay (also sorry that this is pure dialogue lol) 
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> thank you so much for supporting me and this story! i probably wouldn't have continued this if it wasn't for all the positive comments i received so, again, thank youuuu 
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> continue to leave comments on what interactions you might want to see in the future! 
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> (oh and mingi's backstory is coming soon )


	3. baby blue pacies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy moly i've been gone for a while :( hope you haven't forgotten about me 
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> i was locked out of my acc for a bit (long story) but im back and im going to try to be more frequent with updates! 
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> as always,, hope you enjoyyyy 
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> ! this chapter may be sensitive to some, so i'll put a "*" before and after the sensitive parts so you don't have to read it !

"Mingi," a voice softly spoke as a hand threaded through his hair, gently waking him up. Mingi hesitantly opened his eyes, still exhausted from the contents of yesterday, to reveal Jongho crouching in front of him.

Little did Mingi know that after he went to bed last night, all of the members collectively stayed up to research age regression; what littles do, what things they need, how to take care of them. Hongjoon took it upon himself to buy Mingi tons of things for when he dropped, from pacies to toys, to even onesies. He felt like Mingi deserved to be spoiled and he was going to do just that.

"Oh, hey Jongho," Mingi spoke, sitting up and stretching. 

"You hungry? Seonghwa-hyung made breakfast," Mingi nodded, still half asleep.

"Yeah, I'll be in there in a minute. Gonna shower first," 

"Okay," Jongho replied but didn't seem as if he was going to move. Mingi looked at him expectantly, Jongho looking away once their eyes met. "Uh, Hongjoong-hyung wanted to me to ask if you were feeling little,"

Mingi smiled a bit at how shy his dongsaeng was about this. "No, I don't feel little. Thanks for asking though,"

Jongho nodded, looking as if he wanted to say something. "Need something?" Mingi asked, laughing a bit.

"Okay, Hongjoong-hyung said that he bought you a whole bunch of stuff for when you were in headspace, but he told me not to tell you because he wanted it to be a surprise, but everyone knows that I can't keep secrets and the box is under his bed," Jongho blurted out, covering his mouth in surprise at the end. 

"Jongho, I'm gonna kill you!" Mingi heard Hongjoong yell down the hall and the maknae smiled nervously. 

"Yeah, uh, I'm gonna go plead for my life, see ya!" Jongho said before leaving the room. "I'm sorry, hyung! He was going to find out eventually!" Jongho's muffled voice came from outside of the room and Mingi laughed fondly.

He loved his members.

* * *

***

Mingi wasn't completely sure when it started. It was somewhere around his 6th birthday when his mom introduced a man to Mingi. His name was Park Jingyu. The man was handsome, to say the least, and his mom seemed happy so Mingi didn't have a problem with him. He played with Mingi, took him out to get ice cream or to amusement parks, cooked dinner for him and his mom, and made sure to tuck Mingi in at night. Mingi liked him.

But everything changed when they sat Mingi down and told him that they were getting married. Of course, Mingi was ecstatic. He's never had a dad before and Jingyu seemed like a perfect fit. That night, Jingyu came into Mingi's room with a look in his eye, something Mingi's never seen before.

"Are you gonna tuck me in?" Mingi had asked excitedly, quick to jump on his bed. Jingyu had shaken his head with a small smile on his face.

"I wanted to play a game with you," Jingyu spoke in an eerie tone, taking a seat on Mingi's bed. Mingi furrowed his brows.

"But eomma said that it's bedtime," Mingi informed, sitting crisscross. Jingyu placed a hand on Mingi's knee and Mingi didn't understand what was going on with Jingyu. He _always_ tucked him in at bedtime.

"It'll be quick if you're quiet," Jingyu leaned closer to Mingi making the 6-year-old's eyes widen.

"I-I don't want to play," Mingi shuddered, trying to scoot away from Jingyu. "You don't have t-to tuck me in."

Jingyu just laughed, pushing Mingi back on the bed. "It's cute how you think you have a choice,"

***

* * *

Mingi didn't know how long he'd been in the shower too caught up in reminiscing. Why were all these memories coming back all of a sudden? He'd been able to suppress them for years. Was it because he had dropped yesterday?

He didn't want to get too stuck in his head because he knew that he'd drop if he did. He was now feeling little, but he didn't have time to drop. They had schedules today and he didn't want to ruin it for the group. He just sighed, turning the water off and drying off, slipping on a random hoodie and jeans. He exited the bathroom and went to the living to see Hongjoong and Yeosang on the couch fully dressed and eating. Hongjoong must've noticed him from the corner of his eye, smiling as Mingi entered the room.

Mingi really wished Hongjoong wouldn't smile like that, so soft and inviting. Mingi wanted nothing more than to curl up and cuddle with his leader but pushed the thought out of his head as he plopped next to Yeosang. He heard some greeting, but just hummed in response as Yeosang threw an arm over his shoulder, pulling him into his side.

"You okay?" Yeosang spoke quietly. Mingi nodded with his eyes closed, resting his head on Yeosang's shoulder. He was just so warm and cuddly. Mingi was more little than big at the moment, tucking his face into Yeosang's neck. He felt Yeosang laugh softly. "You're never this cuddly. Are you sure you're not feeling little?"

That snapped Mingi back into the moment as he pulled back, blinking a bit. "U-uh, no. I'm not, I'm fine."

He saw Hongjoong give him "the look". "Mingi, you don't have to hide it anymore. If you're feeling little, just tell us. We can cancel schedules. We don't have much to do today."

Mingi contemplated it. On one hand, he can fully drop for the first time in a long time, but then they'd also be missing out on things they have to do. Everyone did need a break though, so...

"Okay," Mingi simply shrugged, leaning his head back on Yeosang's shoulder. 

"I guess that's a yes," Hongjoong laughed a bit. Mingi wasn't fully little yet. He just needed something to push him over the edge. "I'll be right back," Hongjoong stood to leave the room, Mingi barely noticing. Yeosang occupied himself by rubbing Mingi's back as his breathing slowed.

It didn't take long for Hongjoong to return with something behind his back. Mingi watched him as he kneeled in front of Mingi, pulling out a baby blue pacifier. Mingi's eyes widened.

"For me?" Mingi cautiously asked. Hongjoong nodded with a small smile on his face and Mingi couldn't help but blush slightly as Hongjoong placed it between his lips. Mingi felt his entire body go limp as he fully dropped. The pacie was perfect. It had little clouds on it and Mingi couldn't have been happier.

"Cute," Yeosang mumbled softly as Mingi's eyelids started to droop. Hoongjoong just watched Mingi fondly as he slowly fell asleep. Hongjoong couldn't explain how happy he was that Mingi opened up to him. He knew that the younger had always pushed himself and just needed some time to just... let go. Hongjoong found it calming to watch Mingi. Maybe that proves that he was meant to be a caregiver all along.

* * *

"Oh no! Mr. Piggy's the bad guy!" San faked shock as he played with Mingi on the carpet, letting the younger use his stuffed animals after dinner. Mingi giggled around his pacifier as San crashed the pig into the stuffed lamb.

"Oh no!" Mingi copied, squealing afterward. Hoongjoong sat on the couch with his laptop and headphones in, still doing work from home. Everyone else was scattered around the dorm, doing their own thing. They took turns with Mingi; Yeosang cuddling him in the morning, Jongho 'attempting' to feed him (that turned out to be a mess), Yunho watching cartoons with him, Seonghwa also 'attempting' to lay Mingi down for a nap(that also turned out to be a mess). Wooyoung hadn't left his room all day, but no one thought anything of it, deciding that he just needed some rest.

It was kind of weird though. Wooyoung was one of the most energetic members, always ready to jump at the chance to play games with someone or even just talk. For some reason, he wanted nothing to do with little Mingi, avoiding every room he was in, refusing to play with him, and ignoring him. He wasn't saying anything directly mean to the little of course, but it still hurt Mingi. Was Wooyoung uncomfortable around him? He seemed fine when he told everyone yesterday.

So, it wasn't a surprise when Wooyoung walked into the living room and turned on the t.v, not acknowledging Mingi's presence but shooting a 'hey' to San and Hongjoong. Little Mingi couldn't comprehend why Wooyoung didn't seem to like him, so he decided to find out himself.

When San left to talk to Seonghwa, Mingi grabbed his stuffed shark and crawled towards Wooyoung, climbing on the couch next to him. He curled up to Wooyoung's side and felt the vocalist tense for a second before _slowly_ relaxing. "Youngie," Mingi mumbled around his pacifier, poking Wooyoung. Wooyoung hummed in response, not taking his eyes off of the t.v.

"Wan' play?" Mingi offered, placing the shark in Wooyoung lap. He saw Wooyoung's eyes flicker down to the shark before he took a deep breath, something going through his mind. 

"I-I don't know, Mingi," Wooyoung spoke, voice unusually small. Mingi pouted, not sure what Wooyoung meant.

"Play," Mingi persisted. he saw Wooyoung glance at him, back down to the shark, and back up at him, a small smile crossing his features.

"Okay," Wooyoung agreed making Mingi squeal. Mingi grabbed Wooyoung's hand, bringing him over to the pile of stuffed animals. Mingi didn't notice the way Wooyoung's eyes lit up as they played, laughing and giggling just as much as Mingi. Hongjoong glanced at the two, pleasantly surprised to see Wooyoung actively playing with Mingi, taking note of that before going back to work.

It didn't take long for Mingi to get sleepy. being little all day takes a lot of energy. Hongjoong saw Mingi's eyes flutter closed before he woke himself back up to play with Wooyoung. He set his computer aside, taking his headphones out.

"Are you ready for bed, Mingi?" Hongjoong asked, walking over to the two. Mingi sleepily nodded making Wooyoung pout.

"But we're playing!" Wooyoung whined, huffing as he crossed his arms. Hongjoong gave Wooyoung a weird look and that seemed to bring Wooyoung back to reality. "I-I mean, yeah, he seems pretty tired. I think I'll go to bed too," Wooyoung spoke quickly before he shot up off the floor and into his room.

Well, that was weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not much fluff this chap but it's for a good reason okay :(
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> sorry this chapter was a bit messy, but i haven't written in a long time and had a lot to say so uh yeah
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> what do you want to see in the future? 
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> i absolutely adore your guys' comments,, so continue to leave them and tell me what you think! thank you for continuing to read. ily 


	4. empty hallways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay guys i know i haven't updated in a while BUT HEAR ME OUt! i've been having the worst case of writer's block due to my mental state, but i've been working to better myself AND NOW IM BACK YAY
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> so basically,,, i've decided to make this story have an actual plot instead of each chapter being a oneshot because i like it better that way?? idk, i'm still in the process of figuring out which direction this story is going to go, but i hope you guys stick with me through this! 
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> again, sorry for not updating like,, years :( hope you enjoyy 

Sometimes Mingi feels like the world is completely against him. He didn't wake up feeling little today, so he thought that he could make it through schedules without any problems. He didn't know what triggered it (Maybe it was the way that Seonghwa continuously called him pet names throughout the day, or the way that Yunho held him while they were in the car.) 

They were in the waiting room, about to do their final stage for Hala Hala before promotions ended. His red outfit clung tightly to his skin and he felt a bit uncomfortable, but he was also feeling little, so it seemed worse than it actual was. He needed to find someone before he dropped in front of the stylists because the last thing he wanted was for him to accidentally expose himself right before their world tour.

Mingi stood up from the chair after the stylist was done with his hair, looking around in search of one of his members. He didn't care who, as long as they helped him not drop because Mingi's self control was slowly slipping. No one seemed to be around though, probably out on stage rehearsing while the rest finished with their hair and makeup. Mingi was panicking, breath quickening as he left the waiting room once he started to get weird glances from staff. He leaned against the wall trying to control his breathing. He couldn't drop and the resistance was taking a toll on him.

He felt a single tear slip out of his eye, the beginning of a panic attack nearing. He slid down the wall, pulling his knees to his chest. _Don't drop, don't drop, don't drop,_ the words repeating in his head. He needed someone, _anyone_ , but he was alone in an empty hallway, on the verge of dropping as tears fell out of his eyes, soon turning into choked out sobs.

And that was the final straw before he dropped. Now this was worse, he was now _little_ and alone in an empty hallway. Memories flashed through his head about how his mom would leave him in his room alone until Jingyu would come home, entering Mingi's room with a sinister smile. Mingi was now having a full blown panic attack, eyes squeezed shut and breathing rapid. He was beginning to get lightheaded and he felt as if he could pass out any moment. Mingi was beyond scared. Is this what it felt like to die? He didn't want to die. 

"-ngi. Mingi, please calm down! Breathe, Mingi," a voice faded into his senses making Mingi open his eyes to see a panicked Wooyoung, on his knees in front of Mingi. _Someone came for him._

Mingi let out another sob as he threw himself into Wooyoung's arms, the younger falling back a bit, but finally adjusting to the new weight in his arms. 

"It's okay, baby. I'm here," Wooyoung whispered into Mingi's ear. Mingi didn't respond, only burying his face deeper into the crook of Wooyoung's neck, makeup smudging a bit, but neither cared. "Do you want me to get Joong?"

Mingi shook his head quickly, silent tears still escaping his eyes. They sat like that for a bit, in the middle of the hallway until rushed footsteps ruined the quiet.

"There you guys are! We're on in 10 minutes and-" the voice stopped as Hongjoong analyzed the sight, Wooyoung looking up at him with wide eyes and Mingi still wrapped around the latter, sniffing lightly into the collar of the younger's shirt. "What happened?"

Wooyoung paused for a second. "I think-uh-I think Mingi dropped," Before Wooyoung could conclude his sentence, Hongjoong was by their side in a flash, crouching down next to the two.

"For how long?" Wooyoung shrugged, looking down at Mingi before running his fingers through his styled hair.

"I just found him here having a panic attack," It was kind of like a dejavu to the first time Mingi dropped, Hongjoong smiling sadly.

"I'll take him. We can't have him little on stage," Hongjoong offered. Wooyoung reluctantly let go, Mingi crawling into Hongjoong's arms. "Let's go, love," And it soon enough, Hongjoong left to coax Mingi out of headspace, leaving Wooyoung alone.

Wooyoung couldn't deny the tugging at his gut once they left, staring after them with lost eyes. Hongjoong was supposed to tell Wooyoung how good he had been taking care of Mingi. He was supposed to run his fingers through Wooyoung's hair and thank him for being a big boy for little Mingi. But he didn't because Wooyoung wasn't supposed to be little. Wooyoung felt selfish. Mingi had just told the group he was little and Wooyoung didn't want to take that away from his hyung. He sighed, getting up from his place on the floor and any thoughts of letting the group find out he was also a little was drowned from his mind. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit shorter, but i'm gonna split this chapter up in to two parts! (also, i kinda switched povs halfway through sorry haha) i was meaning to post this earlier, but i couldn't find the motivation to finish it, so sorry i'm late :( 
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> thank you for continuing to read! (also thank you for 800 hits!!!!!!!!)


	5. can i have ice cream now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> literally anyone: don't you have like 3 fics you need to update?  
> me for the past two months: y'all hear sum? 
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> i'm so so so so sorry it took me absolutely forever to update :(( once again, school is literally draining me of any motivation i ever had :(( but here's an update yay! 
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> ( i miss ateez :( ) 

"Mingi, you need to eat," Seonghwa sighed, trying to get Mingi to at least touch his dinner. The sound of Seonghwa's voice gained everyone's attention at the table.

"'M not hungry," Mingi mumbled, continuing to scroll through his phone, earning a sigh from Hongjoong.

"Can you at least take a few bites? We already let you skip breakfast, but you need to eat something," Hongjoong tried to reason, only earning an eye roll from Mingi.

"Just a little bit?" Yunho's attempt to help only escalated things.

"I said I'm not fucking hungry! Leave me alone," Mingi spoke harshly, glancing at Yunho with a mean look before looking back down at his phone. The tone seemed to spark something in Hongjoong, the older straightening up in his seat.

"You do not curse at your hyungs like that, Mingi-ah!" Hongjoong nearly shouted, making the entire table go quiet. No one liked when Hongjoong got angry. Mingi looked up from his phone with wide eyes, looking around at the table to see everyone giving him disappointed looks.

He didn't even realize that he had started to tear up, dropping before he even knew it. He shot up from the table, dropping his phone in the process, and ran to his room shutting the door behind him. He didn't like his hyung yelling. He didn't mean to be rude. His hyungs probably hated him now. He curled up into a ball on his bed and cried. He was a bad boy.

The quiet sound of the door opening caught Mingi's attention. He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the blankets over his head. his hyung was probably here to punish him for being bad.

"Min Min?" Hongjoong's soft voice confused Mingi. Wasn't he supposed to be mad at him? He felt the bed dip as his hyung sat down. "Where did my Mingi go?"

Mingi couldn't help but let out a giggle. His hyung didn't know he was here. "Hm... Well, if Mingi isn't here, then he doesn't get to have ice cream," Hongjoong feigned disappointment. Mingi gasped at his hyungs words. He wanted ice cream.

Mingi pulled the covers from over his head, hair falling in his eyes. "'M right here!" Mingi squealed, making Hongjoong laughed fondly. 

"There's my baby! You are so good at hiding, hyung didn't even know you were here!" Hongjoong threw his arms up in exaggeration making Mingi giggle even more.

"I was here the whole time!" Mingi giggled. Hongjoong smiled and reached over to ruffle Mingi's hair. Mingi's smile slowly started to fade as he remembered what had happened pryer.

"What's wrong, baby?" Hongjoong asked. Mingi's shoulders slumped as he looked down at his lap.

"'M sorry for being bad," Mingi mumbled, twiddling his fingers anxiously. He almost began sucking his thumb to cope, but Hongjoong gently pulled his hand down, grabbing his baby blue paci off of his dresser and placing it in Mingi's mouth. The younger visually relaxed and Hongjoong smiled as he rearranged them so that Mingi was sitting in his lap. Not ideal, but it worked. 

Mingi rested his head on Hongjoong's shoulder, gripping the older's shirt in his hands. Hongjoong rubbed his back fondly as the younger's breathing slowed. "It's okay, Min. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I love you, okay?"

"Wuv you too, mommy," Mingi spoke around his paci.

Hongjoong froze as the word slipped out of Mingi's mouth. The younger didn't even notice what he said, not aware as to how it affected Hongjoong. The older's heart did a million backflips and a giant smile fell across his face. _Mommy._

"Mommy loves you even more," Hongjoong whispered as Mingi slowly began to drift off to sleep.

* * *

"Yunho, Mingi has something to tell you. Right?" Hongjoong spoke as Mingi shuffled, looking down at his feet. Yunho looked up from his console, pausing his game to turn his attention the two, realizing that Mingi was little.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Mingi's sorry for saying a bad word and being a meanie," Mingi pouted at Yunho, eyes sparkling. Yunho couldn't help but go soft at how cute Mingi looked in his white onesie. How could he be mad at him?

"I forgive you, Min Min. C'mere," Yunho opened his arms for a hug and Mingi's entire face lit up as he jumped into his hyung's arms, giggling with happiness. The laughter died down as he clung onto Yunho's straddled Yunho, looking at Hongjoong over Yunho's shoulder with a wide smile.

"Mommy, does that mean I can have ice cream now?" 

And how could Hongjoong say no?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ty for 1000+ reads :(( you guys don't understand how happy i am that you all enjoy this!
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> also i made a [twitter](https://twitter.com/jonghoneyed) so go talk to me on there !!!
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> thank you for continuing to read my loves <3


	6. mama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys 
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> i cri :( he is so cute :( 
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> ⌨︎ᵎ [[𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗽]] ⚠︎ one (𝟏) 𝐧𝐞𝐰_𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 . . ✎ i love woo :( 
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> anyways, continue :)

The last practice before the tour had been _stressful_. Everyone had high expectations for themselves and no one wanted to disappoint. They went through every song for what felt like a million times before practicing bits and pieces of their special stages. They practiced from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m, and by the end, everyone was burned out. Hongjoong had let Mingi drop in the car, as he seemed to be a bit stressed after practice, beating himself up about how he could've done better. Yunho had carried Mingi inside (the little had fallen asleep in the car), Wooyoung trailing behind the rest of the group. His leg hurt like hell. He must've pulled a muscle or something. He had a headache and he was hungry and just so tired. He just wanted to curl up in his fluffy blankets sleep everything away.

He finally made it into the house a minute after the others, dropping his bag by his feet and dragging himself to his room, ignoring the sound of Yunho singing Mingi back to sleep. He must've woke up when they came inside. It was only 5:30 but Wooyoung felt like he could sleep for eternity. He had a lingering burn behind his eyes as if he was about to cry and he didn't know why he felt like this.

The room was empty as he shut the door behind him. Yeosang must've been in the shower. Wooyoung didn't think that he could stay awake long enough for his turn, so he decided to just sleep it off and take care of everything later. He crawled in his bed, wincing every now and then from his hurt leg before he was settled, comfortably tucked in his covers. He couldn't help but wish that Yunho would sing him to sleep, stroke his hair, and kiss his cheeks, but that was reserved for Mingi and he wasn't going to take that away from him.

He didn't notice that a single tear had slipped out of his eye, clutching a wolf plushie that he stole from San tight in his arms. This would be enough for now.

* * *

"Wooyoung, get up. Our flight is soon," a voice spoke, rousing him from sleep. Wooyoung's head was pounding when he woke up, suppressing a whine from the brightness of the room. "Hurry up, Woo. We're leaving in 15 minutes,"

Wooyoung listened to the footsteps leave the room, the door shutting soon. He didn't want to get up. It wasn't that he didn't want to go on tour. It was just that he didn't think he could. He still felt as bad as yesterday, maybe even worse, and on top of that, he felt sick from not eating last night. He didn't want to put his members under any stress right before the tour, so he sucked it up and got ready, making sure to stuff the wolf plushie deep into his backpack.

* * *

This must've been one of the worst ideas possible. He should've just told Hongjoong that he wasn't feeling well. But he didn't think it through and now here he was, sat on the plane, on the verge of tears as his ears rang, stomach churning. He leaned his head back in his seat, closing his eyes for a moment, hoping for it to just stop.

"Woo? Are you okay?" Hongjoong softly asked, noticing the way Wooyoung clutched his stomach. Wooyoung couldn't form words, eyes tearing up as he shook his head. "What's wrong? Are you gonna throw up?"

Wooyoung nodded his head in response. Hongjoong paused his movie, quickly helping Wooyoung to the bathroom. Hongjoong rubbed Wooyoung's back as the younger dry heaved, realizing the younger didn't eat breakfast or dinner last night. He cursed himself for not noticing that one of his members were feeling bad.

Wooyoung leaned back and couldn't help the sobs that left his mouth. He still felt icky and he was feeling little and everything was horrible because he couldn't drop in front of Hongjoong. "Woo, it's okay. You're okay," Hongjoong shushed, going into caregiver mode and pulling Wooyoung into a hug. "I know you don't feel good and I'll make sure that we get medicine right after we get off the plane, okay?" Wooyung nodded, burying his face in Hongjoong's neck, gripping Hongjoong's shirt to ground himself.

Sadly, his mind won the battle, feeling his eyes droop and his breathing slow down. "Mama, 'm tired," Wooyoung whimpered into Hongjoong's neck.

Mama.

Wooyoung just called Hongjoong mama.

Wooyoung is acting little.

_Wooyoung is little._

It was best to act now and think later because Wooyoung needed him. "Let's go back our seats, okay love?" Wooyoung nodded, smiling a bit when Hongjoong intertwined their fingers, leading him back to the seats. Hongjoong was a bit relieved that it was dark outside so that they wouldn't receive odd looks from others. They made their way back to their seats, quickly checking up on Mingi. He seemed to be asleep.

They sat down, Wooyoung curling up in his chair and closing his eyes, thumb slipping into his mouth. Hongjoong paused for a minute before shuffling through his carry on bag, pulling out a light pink paci that Mingi never glanced at. He replaced Wooyoung's thumb with the paci, the younger sighing contently. Hongjoong watched him fondly, smiling softly at how cute Wooyoung looked with his paci and headband. He was kind of sad that Wooyoung didn't come to him earlier, but they'd talk about it when they get to their hotel. For now, he'd let it be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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> whew double update huh? 
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> well you guys deserve it because ive been gone for years >:( i love you guys. ty for continuing to read! 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you guys enjoyed!
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> please comment to tell me what you think or what you want to see in the future <3 kudos are appreciated <3 


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